The 1950’s – Pointing The Way

The 1950’s – Pointing The Way

The 1950’s saw a number of Weimaraners picking up awards in field competitions. Major RM MacGibbon was awarded a 2nd place in a Novice Stake held at Wadworth, Doncaster, Yorkshire by the Yorkshire Gundog Club on 13th April 1955, with Strawbridge Baron (d). Strawbridge Baron (born 22/12/1952) was out of Major Petty’s imported pair, Bando von Fohr (d) and Cobra von Boberstrand (b).

During the summer of 1955 in a variety of pointing competitions in Scotland and England, Weimaraner bitch Ann of Monksway handled by A Glucksmann secured awards in a number of stakes including a second in Novice at Crosby Fell, Cumberland.

Strawbridge Carol (b) (h: L Causeley) and Aporto Of Monksway (b) (h: J Banks) were the other two dogs awarded in the 1950’s, and in total seven field awards from trials of a hunting-pointing nature were awarded.

These four dogs were the most prominent Weimaraners by virtue of award of places in the 1950’s. But that is not to say that other Weimaraners were not involved in formal competitions but not placed, and of course there were a number being actively worked on lowland shoots and grouse moors by Club founders and breed enthusiasts, principally as rough-shooting dogs. The reader must bear this general point in mind throughout the remainder of this narrative, which is based on competition records and award winners at that. The exploits of many Weimaraners, then and now, are unsung simply because they were or are not actively competed.

Any showing activity was ancillary to fieldwork, motivated principally by the need to satisfy an increasing public curiosity to learn more about the Weimaraner.